This is a revision page to help you prepare for the Outcome 1 SAC and Section A on the exam paper. Elements of Music
Tone Colour
Each instrument has its own individual sound, which is created by overtones.
Instruments can be grouped into 5 main categories:
Chordophones - guitar, piano, any instrument which can play more than 2 notes at the same time.
Here "Chord" is not being used in its English sense. Rather, it is a word element meaning "string". Chordophones are instruments which use strings to produce their sound.
Idiophones - instruments which create sound by vibrating themselves - being shaken or hit.
Aerophone - all instruments which make their sound by the vibration of air inside them. "Inside them" is unnecessary and potentially misleading.
Membranophone - instruments which have a skin stretched across which creates the sound
Electrophones- instruments which use electricity to create their sound
The human voice can create a variety of tone colours through its use of different registers; the head or chest voice, the physiology of the singer and the cultural style of the music.
In Medieval and Renaissance music, instruments had a narrower range of tone colours and musicians/ composers used a variety of instruments to achieve a range of tone colours.
Every musician creates a different tone colour. This is particularly evident with singers.
Tone colour alters with different cobimnations of instruments.
Mutes are used to alter the tone colour of an instrument.
Ornamentation affects tone colour.
Whether an instrument is playing in the middle of its register, or at extreme ends, will influence the tone colour.
Elements of Music
Tone Colour
Each instrument has its own individual sound, which is created by overtones.
Instruments can be grouped into 5 main categories:
- Chordophones - guitar, piano, any instrument which can play more than 2 notes at the same time.
- Here "Chord" is not being used in its English sense. Rather, it is a word element meaning "string". Chordophones are instruments which use strings to produce their sound.
- Idiophones - instruments which create sound by vibrating themselves - being shaken or hit.
- Aerophone - all instruments which make their sound by the vibration of air inside them. "Inside them" is unnecessary and potentially misleading.
- Membranophone - instruments which have a skin stretched across which creates the sound
- Electrophones- instruments which use electricity to create their sound
The human voice can create a variety of tone colours through its use of different registers; the head or chest voice, the physiology of the singer and the cultural style of the music.In Medieval and Renaissance music, instruments had a narrower range of tone colours and musicians/ composers used a variety of instruments to achieve a range of tone colours.
Every musician creates a different tone colour. This is particularly evident with singers.
Tone colour alters with different cobimnations of instruments.
Mutes are used to alter the tone colour of an instrument.
Ornamentation affects tone colour.
Whether an instrument is playing in the middle of its register, or at extreme ends, will influence the tone colour.